Coastal ocean optical influences on solar transmission and radiant heating rate

An extensive set of physical and optical measurements is utilized to characterize the processes and quantify parameters that contribute to the variability of sea surface albedo, solar transmission, and radiant heating rate (RHR). This study is among the first to utilize multidisciplinary observations coupled with radiative transfer simulations to investigate the impact of optical properties on solar transmission, albedo, and heating in nearshore coastal waters. The data were collected from a shallow-water coastal mooring as part of the Hyperspectral Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (HyCODE) in summer 2001. Quantitative coherence analyses suggest that cloud cover, chlorophyll concentration (Chl), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) have the greatest impacts on solar transmission variability on timescales of ~1 week. Additional statistical analyses indicate that the mixed layer depth (MLD) exhibits a strong inverse correlation with solar transmission and RHR. Radiative transfer simulations show that Chl, absorption, and attenuation have the most significant impact on solar transmission, whereas solar angle and cloud clover greatly influence sea surface albedo. In addition,